Month: May 2009

Categories
Chicken Pesto

Pesto “Fried” Chicken

2 to 2 1/2 pounds chicken pieces (breasts, thighs and drumsticks), skinned, all visible fat removed
3 tablespoons purchased pesto or homemade pesto
1/4 cup cornflake crumbs
Fresh lemon or lime wedges (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Rinse chicken and pat dry. Place breasts and thighs bone side down in a shallow baking pan. Add drumsticks and brush top of chicken with pesto and sprinkle with cornflake crumbs.
Bake, uncovered, 45 to 55 minutes or until chicken is tender and no longer pink. Serve with lemon or lime wedges if desired.
Cook’s Tip: Skinning chicken, especially drumsticks and wings, can be tricky since they are so slippery. An easy way around this problem is to grasp the skin with a dry paper towel as you pull it away from the meat.

Categories
Roast Beef

Peppered Roast Beef

5 pounds beef round roast, all visible fat removed
2 tablespoons acceptable vegetable oil
1 teaspoon fresh, coarsely ground black pepper
1 medium onion, sliced
1 medium carrot, sliced
1 large stalk celery, sliced
1/2 cup dry red table wine

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Rub meat with oil and pepper, and place in an open roasting pan. Insert meat thermometer so tip reaches center of thickest part. Arrange onion, carrot and celery slices around meat. Pour wine over meat and vegetables.
Place in oven and cook uncovered 1 1/2 hours, or until meat thermometer registers desired degree of doneness.
If more liquid is needed, baste with additional wine during the roasting period. Do not use drippings from the roast for basting.
Skim fat from pan juices or remove juices with bulb baster and discard fat. Remove meat from pan and slice thin. Spoon pan juices over meat and serve immediately.

Categories
Beef Mushrooms Steak

Pepper Rubbed Beef Dijon

1-pound flank steak, all visible fat removed
2 teaspoons coarsely cracked black pepper
Vegetable oil spray
1 cup (about 3 ounces) sliced fresh mushrooms
2 green onions, sliced
1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup evaporated skim milk or skim milk
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Preheat broiler.
To prevent meat from curling as it cooks, make 6 shallow slashes on each side of the meat in a crisscross fashion (three slashes in each direction).
Rub cracked pepper onto each side of the steak. Place steak on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 3 to 5 inches from the heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Turn and broil meat about 5 minutes more, or until desired doneness.
Meanwhile, spray a medium saucepan with vegetable oil. Place over medium heat. Cook mushrooms, green onions and garlic in skillet until mushrooms are just tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour. Add milk and mustard all at once. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly, about 3 minutes. Cook 2 minutes more, stirring constantly.
To serve, thinly slice steak diagonally across the grain. Serve with mustard sauce.

Categories
Bacon Mushrooms Pasta Spinach

Pasta with Spinach, Mushrooms & Bacon

12 oz fettucine pasta

Sauce:

4 strips bacon, cut in 2-in. pieces
1 medium onion, cut in thin wedges
1 pkg (8 oz) presliced mushrooms
1 large clove garlic, cut in slivers
1 bag (10 oz) prewashed fresh baby spinach

Nice to add:

Diced tomato and grated Parmesan cheese
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook as package directs.
Meanwhile cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Place on a paper towel to drain. Remove all but 1 Tbsp fat from skillet.
Add onion and mushrooms to skillet. Sauté 4 minutes or until onion has browned. Reduce heat to medium, add garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Add spinach; cook until wilted.
Scoop 1/2 cup cooking water from pasta pot; stir into spinach mixture. Drain pasta; return to pot. Add Sauce and bacon; toss to mix. Sprinkle with tomato and cheese.

4 Servings

Categories
Ham Italian Mushrooms Pasta Spinach

Pasta Florentine Olive Garden Recipe

1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chicken broth
12 oz sliced mushrooms
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 oz ham (Black Forest if possible), julienned
1/4 cup chopped parsley
8 oz pasta (your favorite shape), cooked according to package directions
Grated Parmesan cheese for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh parsley, chopped

Heat extra virgin olive oil and garlic in a sauté pan over medium-low heat. Once garlic starts to sizzle, add mushrooms. Sauté 2-3 minutes. Add heavy cream and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Allow to slightly reduce, for about 10 minutes. Add ham, peas and parsley and cook 4 minutes.
Return cooked, drained pasta to pot and add sauce. Cook until sauce simmers and coats the pasta.
Remove pot from heat and stir in grated Parmesan. Toss gently to combine.
Transfer to large serving platter. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

Chef’s Tip: Use a small amount of salt. The parmesan cheese naturally contains salt.

Categories
Focaccia Turkey Breast

Panera’s Turkey Artichoke Panini

loaf pesto focaccia bread
8 ounces freshly sliced turkey
4 ounces spinach artichoke spread
2 ounces asiago cheese (asiago parmesan blend)
1 small red onion, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1-2 tomato, sliced (6-8 slices)
1 pinch salt and pepper

Preheat panini grill to medium temperature. In a medium sauce pan, sauté diced red onion in olive oil until transparent. Add balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.
Slice the loaf of pesto focaccia into two semi-circles, and halve each semi-circle. Layer the turkey onto the bottom halves of the focaccia bread, and spread spinach artichoke mix over turkey. Layer sautéed onions, asiago/parmesan blend and tomato slices. Close face of panini with the top halves of focaccia bread.
Add panini to preheated grill and press lightly. Grill 5 minutes on medium or until the cheese begins to melt and there are grill marks on the focaccia bread.
Serve hot with chips or your favorite soup!

Categories
Bacon Cajun Scallops Seafood Spinach

Pan-Seared Cajun Scallop

Sweet scallops are given a Cajun-flavored crust, then tossed with balsamic vinegar-dressed spinach and crisp-cooked bacon. Serve with corn bread and cold beer and you have a meal that’s both homey and elegant in no time flat. This recipe is featured in the book Better Homes and Gardens Fresh & Simple 20-Minute Super Suppers.

1 pound fresh sea scallops
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 to 2 teaspoons blackened steak seasoning or Cajun seasoning
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 10-ounce package prewashed spinach
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup cooked bacon pieces

Rinse scallops; pat dry. In a plastic bag combine flour and seasoning. Add scallops; toss to coat. In a large skillet cook scallops in hot oil over medium heat about 6 minutes or until browned and opaque, turning once. Remove scallops.
Add spinach to skillet; sprinkle with water. Cook, covered, over medium-high heat 2 minutes or until spinach is wilted. Add vinegar; toss to coat evenly. Return scallops to skillet; heat through. Sprinkle with bacon.

Categories
Pork

Olive Garden’s Pork Filettino

Four 10-12 oz. pork tenderloins
8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons garlic, minced
4 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Sprinkle tenderloin with salt and pepper on all sides. Brush with olive oil, rosemary, garlic and parsley. Let marinate approximately 2 hours. Cook on a hot grill until internal temperature reaches 165 F.

4 Servings

Categories
Casseroles Chicken Main Dish Make Ahead Mexican Tortillas

Monterey Tortilla Casseroles

Nonstick spray coating
6 6-inch corn tortillas, each cut into 6 wedges
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 cup loose-pack frozen whole kernel corn
1 16-ounce jar salsa verde
3 tablespoons light dairy sour cream
3 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup crumbled Mexican chihuahua or farmer cheese (4 ounces)
Light dairy sour cream (optional)
Snipped fresh cilantro (optional)
Chopped tomato (optional)
Jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced (optional)

Spray four 10- to 12-ounce baking dishes with nonstick coating. Place 5 tortilla wedges in the bottom of each dish. Place remaining tortilla pieces on a baking sheet; bake in a 350 degree F oven about 10 minutes or until crisp and golden. Meanwhile, combine chicken, corn, salsa, the 3 tablespoons sour cream, cilantro, and flour. Divide mixture among dishes.
Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree F oven for 20 minutes. Arrange baked tortilla pieces atop casseroles. Top with cheese; bake for 5 to 10 minutes more or until heated through. If desired, garnish with additional sour cream, jalapeno slices, cilantro, and tomato. Makes 4 servings.
To bake frozen casseroles: Bake, covered, in a 350 degree F oven for 25 minutes. Uncover; bake about 20 minutes more or until heated through. Top with tortilla pieces and cheese; bake for 5 to 10 minutes more or until heated through. Garnish as above.
To micro-cook frozen casseroles: Cover microwave-safe casseroles with waxed paper; micro-cook on 30% power, allowing 4 minutes for 1 casserole and 5 minutes for 2 casseroles. Continue cooking, covered, on 100% power until heated through, allowing 2 to 4 minutes for 1 casserole or 3 to 6 minutes for 2 casseroles, rotating the dishes once. Top with baked tortilla pieces and cheese; micro-cook, uncovered, about 30 seconds more or until cheese is melted. Garnish as above.
Make-Ahead Tip: Assemble casseroles as directed above, except do not top with baked tortilla pieces; place baked pieces in a moisture- and vapor-proof plastic bag. Freeze casseroles and tortilla pieces up to 1 month.

Categories
Beef Ground Beef Main Dish Make Ahead

Mini Meatloaves

1 slice whole grain bread
1/3 cup milk
1 3/4 pounds lean ground beef
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 carrot, grated – about 1/2 cup
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
2 tablespoons onions, grated
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
3/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons corn syrup

Preheat oven to 350. Tear bread into small piecs and transfer to a large bowl; add milk. Let bread soak until absorbed, about 1 minute.
Add beef to bread mixture; mix well with a fork. Add egg, carrot, parsleyy, onion, oregano, mustard, salt and pepper; mix until well combined.
Using your hands, form 1/2-3/4 cup meat mixture into a ball; place in an ungreased muffin cup. Repeat for a total of 8 mini meat loaves.
In a small bowl, combine ketchup, brown sugar, Worstershire sauce and corn syrup; mix well. brush glaze over the top of each meat loaf.
Bake meat loaves until tops are lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle each meat loaf with about 1 tablespoon cheddar. Bake meat loaves until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes longer. Let cool for 5 minutes.
Run a knife around each loaf; remove from muffin cups and serve.

6 Servings